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Sydney AFL Round 3 2018

SYDNEY AFL ROUND 3 2018Article by Michael Shillito

The third round of the season saw all games played on Saturday afternoon. Conditions were good, not as hot as last week and thankfully not as windy. There were no major upsets, and none of the games were particularly close. But there was plenty we learned about teams and players as the season continues to take shape.

Premier Division newcomers Camden were back at home at Fairfax Oval for a twilight fixture against North Shore. The Cats were looking to rebound after a heavy loss on the road to Manly, and it was always going to be tough against one of the competition heavyweights. But although North Shore won comfortably enough, the Cats gave the Bombers a run for their money.
The Bombers had two goals on the board in hardly any time at all, but the Cats worked hard to get back into the game. Some inaccurate kicking would count against them, and some of those shots should have been kicked. But the endeavour of the Camden players and their work-rate couldn’t be faulted as they were getting more of the ball than the Bombers and pumping it into their forward 50. An entertaining quarter of footy saw the Bombers kick four straight goals to Camden’s 3.6, and scores were level at the first change.
There’s some good enthusiasm at the newly-promoted club, and more players from the earlier games had stuck around than what we often see. And they had plenty to shout about with an individual highlight, as Blake Pearce in the number 30 jumper took a run and four bounces up the wing before drilling the goal from just inside the 50. For a fleeting moment the Cats were in front; but their lead would be short-lived. A lead and mark to Brad Plug restored North Shore’s lead, and the Cats would not goal again until late in the third term. The second term would yield three goals to one in the Bombers’ favour, with the visitors leading by ten points at the long break.
Day had turned into night when the third quarter got under way. The Cats were putting up plenty of stiff resistance around the ground; but the North Shore defenders had the better of the Cats’ forwards and a string of strong defensive marks prevented the Cats from achieving any reward for effort. And the Bombers were finding avenues to goal at the other end. With the first four goals for the quarter, the Bombers put the game safely out of Camden’s reach; and although the Cats finally broke the drought late in the term, the Bombers were 31 points clear as the players went into their groups at three quarter time.
Although the North Shore contingent around the clubhouse was noticeably smaller by the time the last quarter came around, the Bomber brigade hadn’t gone any further than the car park; and North Shore goals were greeted with a cacophony of car horns. Three times they rang out during the last quarter as the Bombers raced to an unassailable lead. To the Cats’ credit, they kept fighting and scored the last three goals, ensuring parity for the final term which ended as it began with the Bombers 31 points ahead.
Brad Plug was outstanding for North Shore, controlling the scoring flow with five goals in a best-on-ground performance; while Shaun Crane and Erol Sertbas also featured prominently for the Bombers. The Bombers had been given a test against the Cats, but had done enough to get the win and maintain their unbeaten run in 2018 and the ladder leadership.
Aiden Bell, Shane Doherty and Nathan Kenny were best for the Cats. The home side weren’t able to get the win; but showed enough to demonstrate that they belong at this level as they fought all the way against a highly-fancied opponent in an entertaining and enjoyable contest.

Trumper Park was the venue for a clash between two teams that went into the game undefeated as UTS played host to Sydney Uni. But it was a one-sided contest, as the Bats’ unbeaten status was ended by a rampant Sydney Uni team who dominated the second half to win by 69 points.
The Students wasted little time in getting themselves on the scoreboard, getting themselves out to a lead and ensuring the Bats would be chasing the game. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but it was effective as the Students kept the ball inside their forward 50 for extended periods during the quarter, and a return of four goals to two kept them 14 points clear at quarter time.
The home side lifted in the second quarter, and began to win more of the ball than they did during the first term. But some wasteful finishing would prevent the Bats from challenging for the lead and putting the Students under sustained pressure. The Bats would score 4.7 for the quarter, when a more accurate return could have changed the complexion of the game. And although the Students had less of the ball than they did in the first term, they would still manage to get five goals, maintaining their 14-point lead at half time.
Into the premiership quarter, and it was one-way traffic. The Students emerged full of running, and every contested ball would see a player in blue and gold reap the spoils. The Bats were left in their wake, chasing the ball and unable to put the Students under any pressure. It was a mismatched quarter of footy, as the Students demonstrated their credentials as one of the competition powerhouses. The scoreboard told the tale, as the Students scored nine goals to one, stretching their lead to an imposing 65 points at the last change.
The last quarter was more evenly contested, with four goals apiece being scored. But the winning burst had already been made, and the Students had already got victory wrapped up. The Students could have wrapped up an even bigger win, missing some shots that they normally would have nailed; but it was of little significance after what had already been a dominant display.
Michael Nettheim and Tristan Davies spearheaded the Uni charge with four goals apiece with Davies joining Harry Morrison and Will Stratford as the Students’ best. The Students remain undefeated, and their status as one of the title favourites for 2018 remains intact after another impressive display.
Adam Tarrant, Fred Cator and Rawson Kirkhope kept putting in for the Bats. But they were badly beaten and unable to keep up with a red-hot Sydney Uni side as they slumped to defeat for the first time this season.

East Coast Eagles hosted Wests at Kanebridge Oval in a game where the home side was widely expected to dominate; and they achieved exactly that with a convincing 93-point win.
The Eagles had plenty of firepower, and from the start were showing their on-field class with a one-sided display of footy against an under-manned Wests side who struggled to make any meaningful impact on the contest. Bursting from the blocks, the Eagles controlled the contest from the outset with an opening term of five goals to one, leading by 22 points at quarter time.
The second term wasn’t much better for the Magpies. Unable to create any form of forward structure that would trouble the Eagles, the visitors were held to just one point in the second quarter. It was a more defensively-minded quarter of footy, and the Eagles were only able to penetrate the big sticks three times; but that was enough to extend their lead to 42 points at the long break.
Wests had been well beaten in the first half, and that pattern continued in the third term. The Magpies would manage to eke out two goals, but these were rare moments of respite from an Eagles side that meant business and was determined to bounce back from their loss the previous round. Six goals would run to the home team, stretching their margin to 68 points at three quarter time.
The sting had gone out of the contest by the time the last quarter got under way. There was noticeably less physical pressure, with the contest having already been effectively decided; and a more open and free-flowing game was played. The Eagles continued to dominate in general play, but this was a more high-scoring quarter in which the home side would add seven goals to three.
The final margin was 93 points in favour of the Eagles. Mark Weekes was the dominant force with eight goals, while Trent Stubbs contributed four. Around the ground, Weekes was joined for best-on-ground honours by Lewis Walters and Kieran Emery. The Eagles were a dominant force, and now have the best percentage of any team in the league; but their loss to Sydney Uni in round 2 is keeping them off the top.
On a day when the Magpies were overpowered on the field, Tyler Dell, Josh Robinson and Kaya Bremner never stopped trying. But the Magpies were never in the contest; and the search for the breakthrough win to kick-start the season will have to wait another week.

Pennant Hills and Manly faced off at Mike Kenny Oval on Saturday afternoon. There were plenty of players in both teams who had been part of it when those two sides played Grand Finals in 2013 and 2014. On those occasions the Wolves took the honours; but on Saturday it was Pennant Hills who emerged with the spoils with a 54-point victory.
It didn’t always look likely to finish in such an easy win for the Demons. When the game got under way, it was the Wolves who were looking the stronger side. Buoyed by a second-round win, the Wolves put the pressure on early and threatened to shut the Demons out of the contest. The Wolves made the early front-running, and the scoreboard would tell the tale as they added four goals to two in the first term to lead by 13 points at quarter time.
But the fortunes of the game quickly turned when the second term got under way. In the blink of an eye, Manly’s lead was gone and the Demons then began to assert a growing influence on the contest, as players who had been quiet in the first quarter began to get more of the ball and do more effective work with it. The second quarter would yield a return of five goals to one to the Demons, as they turned their deficit into a 17-point half time lead.
A tight and scrappy third quarter wasn’t one that reached any great heights; but what it lacked in aesthetics it made up for in some quality defensive work by the Demons, as time and again they would deny the Wolves a chance to get back into the contest. The Demons would score two goals to one in a quarter where some gritty defensive work would be pivotal towards the 24-point advantage the Demons held at three quarter time.
After such a tight quarter, the floodgates opened in the final term. Letting down their guard in a desperate attempt to get themselves into the contest, the Wolves had to take risks; but the chances backfired and some costly turnovers would lead to Demon goals as the score blew out in the final term. The Demons would score seven goals to two, as the final margin extended to 54 points. For much of the afternoon the game looked destined to be closer, but in the end the Demons would get not only the win but a handy boost to their percentage.
Nick Hey and Matthew Preen were influential in the forward line for the Demons to finish with four goals apiece, while Ranga Ediriwickrama, Alex Goodall and Tim Wales were ball magnets around the ground. The handy win for the Demons sees them move into the top five.
Dean Meadows, James Mason and Lachie Kilpatrick were best for the Wolves. It’s one win from three for the maroon and whites; still with plenty of time to go this season, but they’d love to string several wins in a row and get themselves in genuine finals contention. But at the moment, they’re well short of where they’d like to be.

It’s an early start for the next round, with Wests and Pennant Hills playing at Picken Oval on ANZAC Day in what has become a traditional tribute to those who served.
On Saturday, Manly take on UNSW-ES in a high-stakes contest at Weldon Oval, while North Shore will be at Kanebridge Oval for a clash against a UTS side that has troubled them in previous seasons. Camden have another twilight blockbuster at Fairfax Reserve when they take on the high-flying East Coast; while Sydney Uni are at home at the No 1 Oval against a St George side who will be desperate for a win.

Meanwhile at Henson Park, UNSW-ES took on St George. Both teams were finalists last year, but went into this game looking for their first win of 2018.
There was nothing wrong with the conditions at Henson Park, but the first quarter was a scrappy affair with numerous turnovers and errors that would have caused the coaches to bang their heads against the wall in frustration at what they were seeing. Both sides were looking for a spark, but there was nothing to excite about the first quarter. The Dragons scored the only goal of the quarter and led by seven points at quarter time; but the quarter time huddles featured animated coaches looking to inspire their charges to better things.
Whatever was said in the Bulldog camp had the desired effect, as it was a Bulldogs side with a new resolve and a far more disciplined work ethic that emerged for the second quarter. The contest was there to be won, and the Bulldogs put their hand up and got stuck into the contest. While the Dragons continued to put on an error-riddled display similar to the first term, it was a different story for a UNSW-ES side that had finally clicked into gear. And the scoreboard would soon reflect what was happening around the ground, as scoring chances opened up. The second term would see the Bulldogs run in seven goals to two, as the quarter time deficit was turned into a 24-point lead at the long break.
The run of play had become lopsided, and this continued in the premiership quarter as the Bulldogs were first to the ball into every contest and the Dragons were reduced to chasing the ball and the game. Despite several missed shots that should have been kicked, the Bulldogs would have been well pleased with their efforts as they added another four unanswered goals to hold a 44-point lead at the last change.
Confidence had returned to the Bulldogs, while the Dragons were looking flat and struggling to maintain any intensity in what had been another disappointing day. And there would be little respite for the Dragons in the final term, as the Bulldogs maintained the momentum they had built since quarter time to add another five goals to two and turn the game into a one-sided affair.
The final margin was 73 points in favour of the Bulldogs. Ned Reinhard was unstoppable, kicking five goals; and along with Alex Foote and Darren Pfeiffer was among their best. After two narrow losses and a big win, finally the Bulldogs are building some momentum; and already have a respectable percentage that will be an asset to them in what they will be hoping will be a climb up the ladder.
St George’s best were Tim Coenen, Dom Michalak and Nick Ryan. But with no wins from three starts, and a heavy defeat in this match, the Dragons will need to find something to kick-start themselves and get their 2018 campaign back on track.

Black - Confirmed finallistsGreen - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finalsBlue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualifyPurple - Will not be competing in the finalsRed - Wooden spoon